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Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles

England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.

George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Changes

The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”